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UNRWA Head Seeks Investigation Into Killing of Staff in Gaza War
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini calls for a high-level UN panel to investigate nearly 400 staff deaths amid Gaza war, raising concerns about agency's survival.
- On Tuesday, March 31, 2026, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini called for a UN investigation into the deaths of more than 390 agency staff during the two-year Gaza war, speaking at a press conference in Geneva on his final day in office.
- The two-year war, sparked by a Hamas-led attack in October 2023, has become the deadliest conflict in United Nations history, with more than 72,000 Palestinians killed and 1,200 deaths reported by Israel during the initial assault.
- Lazzarini emphasized the investigation must extend beyond UNRWA employees to other UN staff, stating, "Many others have sustained life-changing injuries or have been arbitrarily detained and tortured."
- Discussions regarding the probe are underway with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and member states in New York, though Lazzarini cautioned that ongoing conflict complicates timing, noting, "Everything in this context is polarized."
- Lazzarini, a 62-year-old Swiss national, warned that Israeli attacks and funding cuts have left the agency facing "collapse," urging, "The more time goes, the more difficult the task for the commission will be in the future.
14 Articles
14 Articles
U.N. Investigation Looms Over Deadly Gaza Conflict
U.N. Investigation Looms Over Deadly Gaza Conflict The United Nations is weighing the decision to investigate the death of over 390 of its employees during the Gaza war, making it a historically deadly conflict for the organization. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini discussed the matter in Geneva, addressing its importance as his term concludes.Israel's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Daniel Meron, voiced skepticism regarding the neu…
The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa), Philippe Lazzarini, leaves his post after six years at the head of the agency. An exsangue agency, attacked by the Israeli government and whose personnel were decimated by the bombings in Gaza. He calls for the opening of an investigation.
On Tuesday, the head of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, called for the opening of an investigation after the death of more than 390 employees of the Agency during the war in Gaza.
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